Kieran McKenna, manager of Ipswich Town, has compared his team to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.

Kieran McKenna, manager of Ipswich Town, has compared his team to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.

McKenna was speaking to Ipswich Town’s club media after their 4-3 win over Rovers at Portman Road on Saturday, claiming it was the most open game he had ever seen.

McKenna was a member of Manchester United’s coaching staff under three different managers, including Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick, until being named Ipswich manager in December 2021. McKenna faced Leeds three times during Solskjaer’s tenure as manager, with the three encounters ending 6-2, 0-0, and 5-1.

Leeds were, of course, defeated in both games, particularly the 6-2 humiliation.

As a result, the final score could have been anything that day. McKenna compares Blackburn Rovers to Bielsa’s Leeds United.
McKenna stated in his post-match interview following Saturday’s 4-3 win against Blackburn that the only comparison he can make from the weekend is with Bielsa’s Leeds side.

“Wow, what a game. It was the most open I’d ever been in. The only analogy I can think of is playing against Leeds in the Premier League under [Marcelo] Bielsa. We knew they’d be open, they’d attack, and it’d be difficult to keep them out, but we also knew we’d have chances.”

As a result, the score could have been anything that day. McKenna compares Blackburn to Bielsa’s Leeds.
McKenna believes the only comparison he can make from the weekend’s 4-3 win over Blackburn is with Bielsa’s Leeds team, as he stated in his post-match interview.

“What a game. It was the most open I’d ever been involved in. The only analogy I can think of is playing against Leeds under [Marcelo] Bielsa in the Premier League. We knew they’d be open, they’d assault, and it’d be difficult to keep them out, but we also knew we’d have opportunities.”

Jon Dahl Tomasson, who is in his second season as manager at Ewood Park, now manages Blackburn.

Only Plymouth Argyle, Norwich City, and Southampton have scored more goals in the first eight games of the season, with Rovers conceding 16 and scoring 12.

Only Southampton and Rotherham United have a poorer defensive record than them, and it will be a fascinating encounter when Leeds face them later in the season.